Hodgson backs Rooney to break England goals record

Monday 24 February 2014

Rooney currently has 38 goals for England with Charlton’s record standing at 49, and Hodgson said it was something he would discuss with the Manchester United striker.

“I'm sure we will talk about it,” Hodgson confirmed. “We'll be together for a longer period of time [at the World Cup], and that kind of thing might crop up in an everyday conversation and it's quite good to have that.

“He's a long way behind Alan [Shearer] in the Premier League, but in terms of international goals he's definitely up there and we would want that.”

Rooney’s international goals have come in 88 appearances after he made his debut aged 17, playing in a 1-0 friendly defeat against Australia at West Ham’s Upton Park. The 28-year-old is fifth on the all-time list of England scorers.

The Manchester United forward has scored 164 league goals to Shearer’s 260. Shearer, who represented Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, made 460 appearances in the competition to Rooney’s 357.

Rooney, his United colleague Robin van Persie and Chelsea’s Frank Lampard are the only currently active players within the league’s top 10 all-time scorers. Van Persie has 129 goals in 243 games while Lampard has netted 169 times in his 564 appearances.

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